The Columbia Daily Spectator is the daily newspaper of Columbia University and Morningside Heights. We are the second-oldest college daily paper in the country and have been financially independent from the University since 1962. The newspaper is published five days a week during the academic year. The paper, which has a circulation of 10,000, is delivered to over 150 locations throughout Morningside Heights every day. Spectator Publishing Company also produces a range of other publications, including The Eye, a weekly features and arts magainze; La Pagina, a weekly Spanish-language bulletin, and an annual Unofficial Guide to Columbia for first-years … (About 1/2).

… (About 1/2) – A Brief History: The first Spectator featured no photographs and no headlines.

It was printed only twice a month, and ran literary submissions alongside of news. Still, its editors aspired to create a publication where the campus would turn for information. In its first issue, they pledged to be “independent, but not neutral.” Over the next twenty years, they wrote editorials and short news pieces on everything from the campus space crunch to the appointment of new presidents, along with profiles, short stories and poems.

Slowly, the paper began to emphasize news and more serious journalism. In 1899, the paper abandoned its literary magazine roots – instead editors began printing the paper twice a week and broadening their coverage to include campus news, administrative decisions and student groups. They even brought photographs and headlines to the front page.

In 1902, the editors made a big leap forward – they began to publish the paper daily. With the decision to print daily came a commitment to professionalism – Spectator began covering news from across the University, alumni news, and sports. By the 1920’s, the paper’s front page was almost indistinguishable from the New York Times … (full long text).